Chapter 93 A truly vicious trick
In the third-floor bedroom of the old mansion, Chengheju, only one sleep lamp was on.
Ye Huaizhang lay on the bed looking through photos of the Heavenly Book, while Ye Baoling, applying fragrant body lotion, lifted the covers and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Are you sure your aunt is your grandparents' biological daughter? Is it possible that she is your great-aunt's daughter?" she asked, offering her own speculation.
Ye Huaizhang put down the photo. He wasn't sure either. "I never doubted it before. But my fourth uncle and aunt's birthdays are only 11 months apart, so it's quite possible."
"The pregnancy was around nine months along. Unless your grandmother got pregnant again right after giving birth, it's really suspicious. I looked at that old black and white photo before and thought my great-aunt looked familiar. I observed why she looked familiar."
Ye Huaizhang looked at his wife, "Why?"
“Your great-aunt’s nose and mouth look very similar to your aunt’s. And your aunt has the most Western appearance. Why? Because she looks like her father, the British Baron. Does that make sense?” As she spoke, Ye Baoling thought of something else, “Also, I don’t know if I’m being too sensitive, but the night we looked at the photo album, as soon as your aunt came over, Grandma had someone put the old photo album away. Maybe Grandma didn’t want your aunt to see too many old photos.”
These are all details.
Ye Huaizhang stroked her hair: "My wife is so observant."
Ye Baoling raised her eyebrows slightly and smiled, "Of course, sharp eyes."
She nestled in his arms, instinctively reaching for his breast, but he grabbed her hand, preventing her from moving.
Although she was touching his chest, it didn't affect her thinking.
The two discussed the two things they needed to do next.
One task is to find a way to steal my aunt's plum blossom key and quickly make two copies.
Another thing is to get a paternity test done for my aunt and grandmother.
Could his grandmother be one of the people who knew about this back then? If so, we could start by investigating her if we encounter any unresolved mysteries. His grandmother should be easier to communicate with than that old man Ye Qizu.
After discussing it, the couple happily began to do their homework.
The pleasure of not using a condom can only be known by trying it. Both of them became a little addicted. A man with good stamina and a knack for research is truly a great bed partner.
If he continues to be this good, she won't be willing to divorce him.
After all, it's quite difficult to find another partner as harmonious as that.
She didn't want to waste time on this.
The thought of her giving him a reward kiss made him even more determined.
Two days later, Ye Baoling invited Old Madam Guan, Yang Pinxian, Ye Jinliu, and Fourth Aunt Tang Jing to go out for a meal.
We had dinner at a very expensive vegetarian restaurant that was difficult to book.
After they sat down, Tang Jing asked Ye Baoling, "When is Huai Zhang coming?"
Ye Baoling: "He might not be able to come because he's working overtime, so there's no need to wait for him."
"I understand, 'not needing to wait for him' means he won't come?"
Ye Baoling laughed and said, "That's what he told me. I just stated the truth. An honest person like me can't understand the hidden meaning."
Everyone laughed.
They laughed at her for redefining what it means to be an honest person.
This restaurant serves individual portions, with dishes served per person. The first cold dish served was "Golden Sauce Soaked White Jade," a dish of white bamboo shoots served with pumpkin sauce.
Ye Jinliu exclaimed, "This bamboo shoot is very crisp and delicious."
Ye Baoling seized the opportunity to start a conversation: "My grandmother said that when my mother was pregnant with me, she wanted to eat bamboo shoots, but the custom at the time was that pregnant women could not eat bamboo shoots, so she did not get to eat them. After she finished her postpartum confinement, she ate bamboo shoots for half a month as a revenge diet. Later, she got tired of eating them and never ate white bamboo shoots again."
Grandma Guan took the bait: "It's true that cravings during pregnancy can be very strange. It's very likely that the baby's cravings will influence the mother's. When I was pregnant with my fourth child, I didn't eat garlic, and as a result, my fourth child was born not to eat garlic, and he still doesn't eat it now."
Yang Pinxian nodded in agreement: "That's right. My daughter Yongqi loves ice cream, and she eats it secretly. Look at Yongqi now, she loves ice cream."
Ye Baoling asked seemingly casually, "Is it always like this? Grandma, when you were pregnant with your second uncle and aunt, what did you like to eat and what didn't you like to eat?"
Her second uncle was just a pretext; she mainly wanted to ask her aunt.
As for Ye Jinsong, who has passed away, no one mentions him anymore.
Ye Jinliu smiled at her mother, seemingly waiting for an answer.
Grandma Guan pondered for a while, "When I was pregnant with my second child, I didn't like sweets. There didn't seem to be anything special about my pregnancy with Jinliu, and I've forgotten about it."
“Look, that’s just how Mom is, she just doesn’t remember me.” Ye Jinliu pretended to be unhappy.
Grandma Guan explained with a smile, "I spent that year abroad with your great-grandmother. You were also born abroad. It was a very busy time, so how could I remember so much?"
Ye Baoling asked curiously, "Was Auntie born abroad?"
"In the UK."
Tang Jing joked, "No wonder Third Sister has such a foreign face. Did they switch babies at the hospital?"
Ye Jinliu laughed and said, "Oh dear, should I do what they do in TV dramas and get a blood test to prove kinship?"
Grandma Guan could also joke, "The test results showed that he wasn't my biological son, and there wasn't time to switch him, so I'll just accept it."
Everyone took it as a joke, laughing and playfully teasing each other.
The waiter began serving the second dish, "Crystal Vegetarian Abalone Rolls".
This dish is even more delicious.
"It tastes even better than real abalone, and the texture is softer and more tender." Tang Jing, a foodie, commented with great relish.
Ye Baoling wanted a second serving after finishing one; it was truly delicious.
Before the third dish was served, soup was brought out, and Ye Baoling received a call from Ye Huaizhang.
He said, "It's okay, but it will still take two hours."
This means that the plum blossom key has been obtained.
Ye Huaizhang should be sending someone to quickly make an exact copy and put it back, so Ye Baoling needs to wait two hours before going back.
After hanging up the phone, Yang Pinxian asked, "Is Huaizhang coming over?"
Ye Baoling's mind worked very quickly: "He said he'd come over when he was done with his work and told us to eat slowly."
Ye Jinliu laughed and said, "It won't take long, it's so delicious."
Ye Baoling: "After we finish eating, we'll play mahjong and wait for him."
"Can we play mahjong here?"
"You can play mahjong. I already asked."
Tang Jing was in a dilemma, "My two little monkeys are causing chaos at home, and I have to rush back to supervise them while they do their homework."
Tang Jing left, leaving just four people to play mahjong. But Ye Baoling was worried that Tang Jing was leaving and the others were saying they wanted to go home first, so she quickly advised, "Fourth Aunt, it's a rare opportunity to come out, so just relax. There's a tutor at home watching over things, so if you worry less for a day, your grades won't suffer."
Ye Jinliu also said, "No one is allowed to go back first. Those who came together, go back together."
Tang Jing: "I'm going back now, so there are exactly four of you."
Ye Baoling: "I'll buy a horse."
Grandma Guan knew that Tang Jing loved playing cards, but she just hoped that her mother-in-law would ask her to stay. So she said, "My eyesight is not good. Bao Ling will keep an eye on the cards for me."
Yang Pinxian also advised, "It's rare to get out and relax for half a day, play mahjong before going back."
"Okay, okay," Tang Jing finally agreed with a smile.
After finishing their meal and playing mahjong, two hours passed quickly, but Ye Huaizhang still hadn't arrived. Yang Pinxian asked someone to call and urge him.
Just as I was about to call and urge them, Ye Huaizhang called.
"There's a slight problem with the process; try to buy another hour."
Ye Baoling dared not tell them that they would have to wait another hour, so she said tactfully, "We're on our way, stuck in traffic."
"Then it should be soon."
They continued playing cards.
Half an hour passed quickly, and Ye Huaizhang still hadn't arrived.
Tang Jing glanced at her watch; it was almost 10 p.m. She said anxiously, "Baoling, come and relieve me. I have to go back. The two monkeys won't sleep while I'm gone."
Grandma Guan hadn't slept well last night, and she was a little sleepy too. "Where is Huaizhang? Why is he stuck in traffic for so long?"
Yang Pinxian: "Grandma is tired too, why don't we pack it up and take it back for him to eat?"
Ye Baoling had no choice but to call Ye Huaizhang: "Don't come over, we're going back. What would you like to eat? I'll pack it up for you."
Ye Huaizhang: "The others can come back, but you need to stall Auntie for now."
"Alright." Ye Baoling looked at everyone. "If Fourth Aunt is in a hurry, you can go back first. Mom and Grandma can also go back and rest first."
Then, she said to Ye Jinliu in a coquettish tone, "Auntie, can you stay and keep me company? I need to order some dishes for Huaizhang to take back."
Ye Jinliu smiled and said, "Alright, I'll stay and keep you company."
There were few customers at this time, so the kitchen quickly prepared the dishes and packed them up.
Ye Baoling had no choice but to order more dishes, asking which ones would be quicker. After the restaurant manager gave her a detailed explanation, she chose the dish that took the longest to prepare.
Everything was packed up, but Ye Huaizhang's side still wasn't okay, so she had no choice but to pretend to have a stomachache.
Ye Jinliu hurriedly wanted to take her to the hospital, even suspecting, "Are you pregnant?"
impossible.
But Ye Baoling still gave an awkward smile and said, "I need to go to the hospital for a proper check-up."
Upon arriving at the hospital entrance, I received a call from Ye Huaizhang, who finally said, "It's OK."
Ye Baoling breathed a sigh of relief. "Auntie, my stomach suddenly doesn't hurt anymore. Let's go home."
She was eager to go back and see the splendor of the plum blossom key.
Ye Jinliu pulled her back: "No, we need to get a thorough check-up. What if she really is pregnant?"
"..."
She was forcibly pulled inside, and after a series of examinations, the doctor gave a three-word conclusion: "She has indigestion."
In layman's terms: You ate too much.
Ye Baoling looked annoyed.
Ye Jinliu couldn't help but burst into laughter.
It was almost midnight when I got home.
Although the process was arduous, the result was positive.
Ye Huaizhang ate the delicious vegetarian dishes she had brought back, while Ye Baoling admired the two plum blossom keys in front of her.
One is the genuine article, and the other is a fake that is intended to replace Sir Fang's key.
The genuine product has a red string attached to it to distinguish it from the fake.
She praised, "The antiquing technique is amazing. If it weren't for this red string, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between real and fake."
Ye Huaizhang: "The real challenge is figuring out how to replace the plum blossom key in Sir Fang's hand."
Ye Baoling was also troubled: "Last time I heard Fang Shanxing say that the key should be in the safe. First we need to find the safe, and then how do we unlock it? Mechanical locks are easy to open, but what about the combination? This combination is not easy to crack."
Ye Huaizhang: "The safe is either in Sir Fang's room or his study. The location shouldn't be hard to find. The key issue is the password you mentioned, how do we crack it?"
We need to think of a solution.
After finding the uncertain plum blossom key in Ye Jinliu's hands, Ye Baoling became much calmer.
She still has more than half a year to slowly figure out a way to solve this problem.
If all else fails, causing a fire or other chaotic incident to forcibly blow up Sir Fong's safe is also an option.
If only there were pinhole cameras.
Unfortunately, that's not the case in this day and age.
All they could do was send people to secretly monitor all of Sir Fang and Sister Ju's actions.
"Have someone disguise themselves as a telephone company employee and go to their home to install a listening device."
If video monitoring isn't possible, voice monitoring will do for now.
You'll definitely learn more information that way.
*
After initial screening, two mineral water brand names were selected.
【Bingquan】 and 【Xuebao】.
Ye Baoling voted for Bingquan herself, but the rest of the company voted and ultimately decided on Xuebao.
She wasn't too fixated on the brand name; since everyone else had chosen Olaf, then Olaf it was.
The logo was designed based on this name, and in the end, a cute version suitable for young people was chosen.
After the name was chosen, the other tasks began to proceed in an orderly manner.
Because of its relatively convenient transportation, Qingyuan's mineral water plant started construction first and is expected to be put into production before the Chinese New Year and enter the market next year.
Ye Qingtang's eastern and western expeditions went relatively smoothly.
We started stocking jasmine iced tea and iced black tea in South Korea and Japan in May. We have already selected distributors and are preparing for promotion.
As for the westward expedition route, agents were recruited.
The meeting was held in the conference room on the tenth floor of Ye Qingtang that day.
Qu Zhengming stated, "We now want to expand into the Western European market. It's quite complex there, with many countries and regulations. Fortunately, they are relatively wealthy and have a population that can afford various beverages. Because our North American market expansion has been quite successful, we now have many applications from distributors in Western Europe. Choosing the right distributors is currently the most important task for the marketing department."
Since the EU has not yet been established, market expansion is indeed quite complex and troublesome.
Ye Baoling looked at the documents in her hand and saw the name L&D. She couldn't help but ask, "Does L&D also want to become a distributor in Europe?"
Qu Zhengming: "Yes, they also want to acquire Ye Qingtang's agency rights in Europe. However, their resources in Europe are average, and since we've already partnered with them in North America, if we partner with them in Europe as well, we'll be putting all our eggs in one basket, which would be quite risky."
Ye Baoling agreed with Qu Zhengming's point of view: "Yes, we don't need to consider L&D for the time being."
Qu Zhengming: "We are currently facing a difficult choice between two companies. One is the largest agency in Europe, with the most abundant resources, and the contract is signed every three years; the other is a medium-sized company called Andal, which is not as large. This medium-sized company offers a higher agency price, and they promise to concentrate all the company's resources to build our brand, but Andal requires the agency rights to be signed for at least 10 years."
Ye Baoling asked everyone, "What do you think?"
Conservatives want big companies.
More aggressive investors prefer mid-sized companies, given their higher prices and promises to concentrate all resources on building the Ye Qing Tang brand.
"They've invested so many resources, they definitely need to sign long-term contracts, otherwise it wouldn't be worthwhile for them."
Ye Baoling also preferred Andal Company. After all, L&D was able to successfully help Ye Qingtang open up the market because L&D was in a bottleneck period at the time and urgently needed a new product to occupy the market.
This might not be the case for the large European company. They are a long-established distributor with many subsidiaries, so they certainly can't provide as many resources.
That would be better to give all the resources to their medium-sized companies.
But Ye Baoling did not immediately confirm her choice. She said, "I invited them all to come over for a face-to-face discussion so that we could get to know each other's situations."
The marketing department responded quickly.
*
The results of the paternity tests Ye Huaizhang conducted on his aunt and grandmother are in; they are not biologically related.
Therefore, it can be basically confirmed that Aunt Ye Jinliu is the daughter of her maternal great-aunt Yan Yujun.
Their initial guess was correct.
As for why the plum blossom key was given to Yan Yujun's daughter, that remains a mystery for now.
Before long, Ye Jinliu's plum blossom exhibition was held as scheduled.
There weren't many visitors, but Ye Jinliu was still very happy because the exhibition led to her appearing on a radio program and being interviewed by a fashion magazine.
For her, that was a success.
During this period, Sister Ju sent people to the exhibition hall several times before replying to Sir Fang.
"We didn't see the plum blossom key in the exhibition."
"Are there any relevant calligraphy or paintings that you copied?"
No, not at all.
Sir Fang breathed a slight sigh of relief. "That's good. I'll go check again in a few days, just in case."
"Understood." After saying that, Sister Ju said softly, "Sir, the Annamese assassin we hired before, the one named Water Dog, suddenly disappeared a while ago."
Sir Fang, who was copying a landscape painting, looked up at Sister Ju: "What do you mean?"
Sister Ju: "I made some inquiries, and it's said that the Bamboo Division has been searching for Water Dog's whereabouts since last year. The Bamboo Division has a close relationship with Xiao Dahai, one of Ye Huaizhang's men. I'm a little worried that Water Dog might have fallen into Ye Huaizhang's hands. If Water Dog really does fall into Ye Huaizhang's hands, then our previous assassination attempt on him will definitely be exposed."
The old man reacted quickly: "No wonder Ye Huaizhang and Ye Baoling have been coming to our house to play cards so often lately. Are they trying to find out something?"
Ye Baoxin, who was eavesdropping at the door, was startled.
Did that old bastard Fang Dingkun assassinate Ye Huaizhang?
She had never heard anything so frightening before, and immediately turned and left, not daring to listen any longer.
As I turned around, my clothes accidentally brushed against the wall, making a soft sound.
Alert, Sister Ju rushed to the door and just happened to see a pale yellow figure turn the corner.
Today, only Ye Baoxin was wearing light yellow clothes at home, and she knew it.
Back in the study, Sister Ju whispered, "It's the eldest young mistress."
Sir Fang frowned slightly, put down his brush, and instructed, "She must have heard something. From today onwards, keep a close eye on Ye Baoxin's every move. If all else fails, find a way to create an accident and take her, Ye Huaizhang, and Ye Baoling down with her. Eliminate any future trouble."
Sister Ju hesitated slightly: "The eldest young mistress's belly..."
Sir Fang's heart was as cold as iron: "If a child isn't born, it doesn't count as a child of the Fang family. Shanxing is still young; we can marry again and have another child later."
Sister Ju: "But doesn't the eldest young mistress still have the recording?"
Sir Fang certainly remembered: "I guess she didn't give the recording to anyone else. She doesn't have many friends. The most likely way is that she gave it to her mother, and then she'll wipe them all out together. Let me think about it and slowly devise a plan."
"good."
When Ye Baoxin returned to her room, she was filled with unease. She had a vague feeling that she had left in too much of a hurry, and that Sister Ju had chased after her to check on her.
I wonder if Sister Ju has noticed her.
Maybe they really have discovered it.
She paced back and forth uncomfortably, occasionally gently stroking her belly.
She hesitated, wondering whether she should tell Ye Baoling the news.
*
Ye Baoling was listening to the finance director's report in her office when her secretary called to say that her father had arrived.
Ye Kaimin pushed open the door without being announced and entered. Chen Yulan was not there, and the secretary at the door was completely helpless.
"Your secretary, why are you making me wait? I'm the chairman's father, am I supposed to wait too?"
The secretary apologized to Ye Baoling, saying, "I'm sorry, Chairman."
Ye Baoling closed the document in her hand and said to the CFO, "We'll continue tomorrow."
The CFO tactfully packed up the documents and left first.
The secretary closed the office door, and Ye Kaimin pulled out a chair and sat down.
"What is it?" she asked.
Ye Kaimin said with a grin, "Two things, one business and one family. Let me talk about the business first. I am your father, right?"
Ye Baoling glanced at him sideways: "What business is it of yours to be my father?"
"I used to have a seat on the company's board of directors, but since the company went public and the board was reorganized, I lost my seat. Yesterday I heard that your grandfather's shares will also be temporarily managed by you. You control the largest and second largest shareholders, so you have plenty of board seats. Could you arrange one for your father? It would give me a title when I go out to participate in various activities. That way, I'll have face, and you'll have face too. What do you say?" Ye Kaimin continued to smile shamelessly.
Ye Baoling refused: "Grandpa hasn't given me his shares yet. He said he'd let me temporarily manage them, and who sits on the board is also up to him. You can go beg him."
Ye Kaimin: "I asked your grandfather, and he told me to ask you."
That old geezer is good at passing the buck.
Ye Baoling smiled and said, "I don't have any if you ask me."
Faced with his daughter's "heartlessness," Ye Kaimin stood up angrily: "Without me, would you be where you are today? I fought for your interests in every way, and you just kick me aside like this?"
Ye Baoling's smile vanished: "When have you ever fought for my interests? Before, you were worried that if I didn't do well, it would implicate you, so you had to speak up for me. Later, you saw that I was about to gain power and wanted to ride on my coattails, so you selectively spoke up for me. You were always acting in your own self-interest, not for me. Besides, I didn't need your help at all before; you insisted on coming to me. Did you even ask for my permission?"
Ye Kaimin said helplessly, "This is a classic case of crossing the river and then burning the bridge. I am your father, and that's a fact that can't be changed until I die. Giving me face is the same as giving face to yourself, isn't it?"
Ye Baoling: "Why should I give you face? When you chose to cheat on me and abandon my mother and me; when you took over my bank card and didn't give me any pocket money; when you raised someone else's daughter, arranged jobs for her, and completely ignored me... Did you ever think that I was your biological daughter? Did you lose your memory, or did you think I lost my memory?"
Ye Kaimin was speechless.
He was indeed in the wrong regarding what happened in the past.
If he had known his daughter would be so successful, he would definitely have treated her better.
It's a pity I didn't know sooner.
"Don't force me to take time out of my busy schedule to deal with you. If you have nothing else to say, get out. I have a lot of things to do." Ye Baoling's refusal to tell him to "get lost" was already the greatest courtesy she could show.
Ye Kaimin refused to leave. "There's one more thing. That... your grandfather also asked me to ask you."
"explain."
Ye Kaimin said in a low voice, "Baolong's birthday is coming up soon, could we ask his mother to come back and celebrate with him for a while?"
This time, Ye Kaimin was smarter. He didn't dare to say anything like "give Ye Baolong a complete family," for fear of upsetting Ye Baoling and making her unhappy again.
Ye Baoling knew, of course, that celebrating Ye Baolong's birthday was just the beginning, an excuse. Once Zheng Junni returned, she would find a way to stay put.
She asked curiously, "Zheng Junni lied to you, yet you still want her back?"
At least he'll have a wife when he comes back.
Ye Kaimin: "She lied to me out of desperation. It's my own fault. Even my son has problems. I can't blame her."
Unexpectedly, Ye Kaimin's only remaining shred of conscience was given to Zheng Junni.
Ye Baoling nodded slightly: "Okay."
Ye Kaimin thought his daughter had agreed and hadn't even had time to be happy when he saw her stand up. He said, "Let's go see her together. I'll ask her if she wants to come back to the Ye family."
"Of course she wants to. Why not just send someone to pick her up?"
Ye Baoling ignored him and called Chen Yulan, and together they came to the bottom of the villa where Zheng Junni lived on the hillside.
The servants who were guarding them opened the door for them.
Zheng Junni was locked on the rooftop. Because she couldn't eat or sleep well, had no one to talk to, and was kept in the dark, she became thin and dejected.
When they came in, Zheng Junni was stunned for a while before she quickly stood up.
She never expected them to come to see her.
Ye Baoling didn't beat around the bush and asked directly, "Zheng Junni, do you want to go back and reunite with your son?"
Go back and reunite with Ye Baolong?
Zheng Junni nodded repeatedly, full of hope, "Yes."
"I'm giving you a chance. Only one of you can go back to the Ye family to be with Ye Baolong. The other one will have to stay here and continue to atone for his sins. Who will go back, you or him?" Ye Baoling pointed at Zheng Junni and Ye Kaimin.
Ye Kaimin stared wide-eyed in disbelief. "No, Ye Baoling, what do you mean?"
A choice between two options?
Is she trying to force the couple to choose one of them and kill each other?
What a vicious trick!
How could he have such a daughter who would come up with such a vicious scheme?
It's unclear whether Zheng Junni has become confused from being locked up here, but she chose without hesitation: "I'm going back. I'm going back."
Ye Kaimin was so angry he almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
-----------------------
Author's note: Ye Baoling: I've already been very gentle.
Ye Huaizhang: There's a good show going on, why didn't you invite me? [Let me see!]
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